Leatherface

Alternate titles : Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Origin of Leatherface, Leatherface: The Mask of Terror

Tagline : "Witness the Beginning of Your End"

These Texas Chainsaw Massacre films are getting increasingly confusing, so far we've had 3 sequels to the original film, a remake, a prequel to the remake, an alternate sequel to the original and now here's a prequel to the original, entitled "Leatherface", which shares the same title as one of the sequels.

Anyway, taking place some 20 years before the events of the original 1974 movie, the daughter of the local sheriff is "accidentally" killed after wandering onto the Sawyer family farmstead. Notwithstanding, the Sheriff returns the favour by having all the young Sawyer children taken into protective care.

Having spent several years at a mental health facility, when a riot breaks out, the Sawyer kids seize their chance and escape with another group of inmates, taking a nurse with them as hostage. But the group are ruthlessly pursued by the veangeful Sheriff who's really not interested in recapturing them and simply wants to dish out his own brand of justice, southern style.

So, the fate of the young nurse lies between sticking with the escapees, who will probably kill her eventually, or trying to get away and hoping the Sheriff doesn't mistake her for one of the inmates and killing her himself.

Extremely reminiscent of "The Devil's Rejects", which in turn was based on the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", I found "Leatherface" to be an entertaining enough slasher movie, which boasts a pleasing amount of gore and a good cast, which includes Stephen Dorff (Blade), Christopher Adamson (Judge Dredd, Pirates of the Carribean) and Lili Taylor (The Conjuring). Although, I was left feeling a little confused about the plot and how exactly this ties in with the original film

Overall, an entertaining enough slasher pic, though a somewhat dissapointing Texas Chainsaw film.

Overall Marks : 6.10.

Terrifying Trivia

• Tobe Hooper, who Directed the original 1974 film, was an executive producer on this. This was actually the last film he worked on before his death in 2017
• Set in Texas, the film was actually shot on Location in Bulgaria.
• The Sawyer household was reconstructed based on images from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They couldn't use the original location, partly because the budget wouldn't stretch to filming in Texas, but primarily because as the house has since been moved to Kingsland Texas and the site it originally sat on has since been turned into a retail and industrial estate.
• Released direct to home video in the UK, the film has so far only been issued on DVD. Though Blu-Ray releases are available in other countries.
• Stephen Dorff's character, Sheriff Hal Hartman, is supposed to be the father of the Burt Hartman character (played by Paul Rae) in 2013's "Texas Chainsaw 3D".
• The role of Verna Sawyer was originally given to Angel Bettis (May), but she had to drop out prior to shooting due to a scheduling conflict, so the role went to Lili Taylor (The Conjuring).
• Although not listed in the credits, or mentioned in the film. Ted, the young man in the car at the start of the film (played by Julian Kostov), is Ted Hardesty. Who would have been the father of Sally Hardesty in 1974's Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
• Second and only other Texas Chainsaw Massacre film to be released by Lionsgate films, they originally had plans to make 6 films, but they lost the rights to the franchise, as they took too long to release a follow up to 2013's "Texas Chainsaw 3D".

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